St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-07-21
A POLITICAL LESSON.
Picayune.

The Picayune has already commented
upou the unexpected Democratic VIC
tory in Rhode Island, and the peculiar
political conditions which gave the
victory to party that had long been 10
what seemed an utterly hopeless minor
ity. We recur to the subject now, be-
cause it suggests q lesson which 1t
would profit the dominant party IN
Louisiana to ponder we'll.
The Republican party in Rhode Island
had fallen under the control OF an IRON
bound, self -perpetuating and despotlc
machine. The machine was controlled
hv a few thorOughgOing professional
politicians. 1t was an impertinence for
q man outside of that select and exclu-
sive circle to attempt to influence its
decisions, and it was not more lmDertl-
uent in the eyes of the bosses" than
it was barren OF result. Now, this fact
was enough in itself to induce revolt.
If the ring coteric--the engineers of
the machine-had done nothing 70
bring scandal upon tie Republican
party aud the State, the simple fact
that the servants of the party had be-
. come its masters would have been quite
enough to lead the better element to
resort to any course that promised relief
from a system of management
which practically distranchised that
element.
But under such circumstances more
or less scandal Is inevitable. In Rhode
Island the governorship was virtually
sold to the highest bidder, or, at all
events, to him who would foot the
partY'S election eXpenSes-lihrrally eS-
timated, no doubt Again. the Cover
nor thus nominated ana elected would
Contine his patronage to persons inter-
ested in maintaining the supremacy of
the machine. Ability, patriotism, de-
vOtion TO duty, counted for very little,
"practical politicians" cherishing Il
profound contempt for all such senti-
mental considerations.
Applying the lesson now to Louisiana.
we inquire, in the first place, what We're
the conditions which rendered such a
state of things possible in Rhode Is
. land ? In that commonwealth the Re
publican majority was SO great that the
party felt perfectly, secure. 1t seemed
to private members of the party that
they bad nothing to do but enjoy the
fruits of continual victory. and 1t did
not occur to them that it it ever be-
came necessary to change the personnel
of the party management they would
be unable to do so. No more did they
foresee that by retiring from active
political work they were finally giving
over all the public offices of the State
to the absolute possession of a clique.
Precisely the same thing has happened
in Louisiana. The good people CT this
State iabored for many years with un
tiring zeal to overthrow the Republican
usurpation, never doubling that the
restoration of the Democracy to power
would work immediate relief from all
the political despotism against which
they had made their fight. When at
last they had achieved their victory
they we're sure that it could never be
reversed, and they went home, so to
speak, and went to sleep. The great
majority of them cared nothing for
Office, but any Office seeker who called
himself a Democrat was good enough
for them. The consequence is that the
party has lost its popular character in
Louisiana, and is to-day only the in
voluntary instrument of ring of pro-
fessional politicians.
To avoid 10 Louisiana what has hap
pened in Rhode Island it is necessary to
cure at once the defects in the manage
ment of the Democratic party in this
State. That cannot be done without
the hearty cooperation of all the
friends of reform in the party. We
have seen more than once in the history
of the State stnce the war what honest
and patriotic men can accomplish when
firmly united, and when their determi-
nation to maintain their rights has
been bravely asserted. We do not be-
iieve that it is necessary to take the
extreme course resorted to by the re-
form element in the Republican party
in Rhode Island. On the contrary we
believe in the possibility of reform
within the ranks of the Democratic
party, and we are not prepared to aban-
don the organization to which we are
attached while there is still room to
hope that its management can be
brought under the control Of its ma
jority.